The Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering is proud to share that several of our faculty members have received the prestigious 2025 National Science Foundation (NSF) Early CAREER Awards.
Spanning a wide range of disciplines and specialties across the College, these exceptional faculty exemplify the highest standards of research and education. The NSF CAREER Award, the Foundation’s premier honor, recognizes early-career faculty who demonstrate great promise as academic leaders and innovators poised to make transformative contributions in their fields.
Zoleikha Biron
Electrical & Computer Engineering
Zoleikha Biron, PhD, is applying novel machine learning techniques to address challenges facing cyber-physical systems (CPS) in a project recently funded by the National Science Foundation.
Read more: Biron’s NSF CAREER Project Helps Cyber-Physical Systems Learn Faster
Megan Butala
Materials Science & Engineering
As demand for cleaner energy grows, so does the need for sustainable battery technologies. Megan Butala, Ph.D., an assistant professor of materials science and engineering, is exploring a promising alternative to today’s lithium-ion batteries. Her research focuses on disordered rocksalt oxides (DRXs), which could reduce reliance on scarce and environmentally problematic materials like cobalt and nickel.
Read more: Megan Butala Tackles Pivotal Battery Challenge to Support a Sustainable Energy Future
Alberto Canestrelli
Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment
UF associate professor Alberto Canestrelli, Ph.D., won a prestigious CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation. The award will fund his research on protecting sensitive salt marshes with the help of ribbed mussels.
Read more: Can ribbed mussels save salt marshes? UF professor digs for answers
Baibhab Chatterjee
Electrical & Computer Engineering
Baibhab Chatterjee, Ph.D. has received a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award. His funded project seeks to revolutionize implantable and wearable medical electronics by enabling seamless data connectivity and power in a network of devices, leveraging the conductive property of the human body.
Aleksandr Kazachkov
Industrial & Systems Engineering
The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded industrial & systems engineering professor Aleksandr Kazachkov a CAREER Award to develop integer optimization technology that may enhance power system operations, vehicle routing, and even organ transplant allocation.
Read more: NSF awards ISE researcher CAREER grant to study new learning-based optimization methods
Joshua Moon
Chemical Engineering
The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded chemical engineering professor Joshua Moon a CAREER Award to support Moon’s research on membrane-based separation processes and creating new ways to reduce energy consumption through chemical engineering..
Read more: CAREER Award-winning Joshua Moon comes full circle with NSF
Patrick Musgrave
Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
Patrick Musgrave, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Florida, has been awarded a CAREER grant from the National Science Foundation. The award supports both groundbreaking research and educational outreach, and it includes federal funding for a five-year project aimed at advancing underwater robotics.
Read more: Shaping the Future of Underwater Robots with NSF CAREER Award
Gaby Ou
Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment
The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently honored University of Florida assistant engineering professor Gaby Ou, Ph.D., with a prestigious Early CAREER Award to further investigate transmission tower collapses during storms.
Read more: NSF awards UF researcher grant to improve transmission tower safety
Ivan Ruchkin
Electrical & Computer Engineering
As work on improving cyber-physical systems (CPS) barrels ahead, Ivan Ruchkin, Ph.D., has some concerns. Loosely defined as mechanisms controlled and monitored by computer algorithms, CPS have some basic susceptibilities—rare events and unexpected circumstances can cause the system to react in unsafe or incorrect ways. Thanks to funding from the Nation Science Foundation, Ruchkin aims to correct this.
Read more: Ruchkin Receives NSF CAREER Award to Make Cyber-Physical Systems Aware of Their Limitations
Yingying Wu
Electrical & Computer Engineering
ECE Assistant Professor Yingying Wu has received an NSF CAREER Award in support of her project, “Transforming Quantum Spintronics with Novel 2D Magnetic Transistors and Diodes.” This project will focus on creating new quantum hardware devices like magnetic transistors and diodes that use skyrmions. These devices are expected to be more energy-efficient, scalable, and able to operate at elevated temperatures, helping overcome some of the biggest obstacles in quantum computing.
Read more: Wu Receives NSF CAREER Award to Create New Quantum Devices
